Buckle



Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE WILLIAIEH.. MCKINNEY, JR., OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR T COTTON BUCKLE TAG CO., INC., A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE BUCKLE l Application filed November 12, 1926. Serial No. 147,996.

This invention relates to buckles and more particularly to a bale tiebuckle.

The bale tie buckles, especially those used on high density bales, are subjected to great strain. It has been the'practice to form buckles, for this purpose, of a. single piece of metal. This is generally made of rectilinearshape formed from heavy gauge Wire. A characteristic feature of prior constructions is the smoothness of that portion of the buckle Which contacts with the bale band. This structure presents the least possible resistance to the tendency of the tension band tospread the buckle and of consequence displace thefree ends. To overcome this disadvantage, that is to say to prevent the deformation of the buckle due to the stress exerted by the band, it has been proposed to form the buckle With hooked ends which engage each other and form, in effect, a positive lock. A disadvantage inhering in this type-of buckle is that it requires a metal of not inconsiderable resiliency in order that the endsy may spring apart and the hooks disengage' When pressure on the buckle is relieved. In addition, this type of buckle requires the usel of more material.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bucklefvvhich resists the tendency to spread under stress.

Another object is to prevent the spreading'of the buckle by a means incorporated in the buckle itself.k

A further object is-to provide a method of forming a bale buckle to produce a structure Which resists the tendency of the buckle to deformV under stress.

An additional object is to provide a deformation resisting means for a buckle with out increasing thermaterial used. l

Yet another object is to devise a method for resisting deformation of buckles which is applicable to existing types.

I accomplish these and other important objects by the provision of an anti-spread means 'which may be applied to the band engaging portion of a buckle.

Int order that thisinvention may be morev readily understood, structural embodiments are disclosed in detaill in the accompanying drawings. In these the same numbers represent identical elements throughout the several views, of which, v

Figure l is a. perspective view of the bale buckle;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the buckle shown in Fig. l

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4, 5, G and 7 are views of modifications of the device shown in Fi 1.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the buckle with the ends of the bale bands attached thereto.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a bale buckle made from a single piece of heavy gauge Wire. This comprises essentially the top l, side bars 2 and the end bars 3. As shown, particularly in Figs. 2 and 4, the end bars extend from the side bars so that the respective free ends l and 5 are initially laterally spaced and extend, the one past the other, in overlapping relation. The end of each of these bars is formed With a beveled surface 6.

The operation of the structure thus far described will be apparent. One looped end of the bale band is adapted to register flatly With the upper end l of the buckle. lVhen it is desired to lock the band on the bale, the loop on the other end of the band is passed through the gap between the uxtaposed ends 4 and 5 and twisted slightly. If the pressure onrthe bale is noW released, it will expand. As the bale expands, pressure is exerted on the buckle. Initially the spaced ends 4 and 5 are constrained to approach each other due to the lateral components of thrust exerted bythe band. When the initially spaced por tionsabut, the expansive force of the bale in effect acts to spread the buckle. l/Vhen the band engaging faces of the end barsl 3 and 4 are smooth, as in prior constructions, the only resistance offered to the distorting force of the band is the inherent tensile strength of the metal buckle. I have found that by providing these band engaging portions With frictional surfaces, the tendency of the band to spread the buckle is .greatly minimized. By treating these surfaces of the buckle so that aplurality of corrugations, or points,.or in fact any generally roughened surface is provided, this desirable result may be attained.

y Thebuckles may be treated in a number of ways to provide the requisite frictional contact surface. As is shown in Figs. l to 3, the end lbars 3 .may be formed with. alternating grooves? and landslS. Theprojectingjlands vin effect present a plurality of frictional pointsr and thereby greatly increase the friction between the barsand'band. The grooves 7 may extend only acrossthe top of the endV bars. I intend,however, to have the grooves extend some distance Vdown the flanks ofthe side bars so that the loop of the band engages tightly with the bar throughout a large por# Ation of its'surface.` It will be understood that'v the grooves may bestamped out, filed, cut in,

or lformed in any desirabley or convenienty manner.- v v Y i An increased frictional contact between the bandandbnckle l maybeinsured by other means. Thus, as shown in Fig. il, a Yseriesof lateral grooves@ and longitudinal grooveslO may be cut, or otherwise formed in the band engaging portions ofthe buckle to'provide a recticulated structure. This insures an increased frictional contactebetween the band and buckle and visvthus well calculated to4 effectuate the underlying principle of the in- 'l vention.

.In Fig. 5 Ihave shown another structure I desig-ned'toaccomplish the function pern formed bythe devices hereinbefore described.

Thus the'band engaging portions ofv the buckle may beprovided with .a number ofl pyramidical protrusionsll. i These may be obtainedby any suitable method,.as by stamping with a properly shaped die or bycutting into the material with a saw. rlile. A pecu liar advantage accrues from the use of this particular type of surface inasmuch as it pro'- vides. a plurality of. relatively pointed surfaces. Thisv increases the friction between the band and buckle and more nearly approaches a positive locking contact. As in the other modificationsthe tapered protuberances lmay. extend well down the side of the'bars to therc.

byengage a large portionof the end loop of the band.

. Another modicationwhich embodies the y broad concept ofthis invention is shown in nal grooves 12which extend transverselyfto- Fig. '6. In the device disclosed by this figure, y

theshort end bars are formed with longitudithe horizontal andvertical planes of the bars'. These groovesare preferably angular in cross section rather'than channel shaped as the` grooves. of the devicey shown in AFig.v 1.. I prefer`v to form the groovesof substantially `sf-shape for the-reason that these are effectivexand are easily formed'inthe bar. By

' reasonk 'ofthisstructurethe band engaging' portions'fof theV bars arefmore pointed and hence insure a more,efectivecontactwith the band; i l I v i Y stress.,

In Fig. 7 there is depicted another arrangement of the frictional surface. prises a plurality of indentations or depres sions 14 and the adjacent and alternate projections 15. In this modification the depressions on each side of the centralvertical plane of the end bars 3 are angularly` disposed. I

prefer to position the grooves so that those on one of the short legs are not in parallel relation: to those fon the other. The grooves'thenvdiverge from the central longitudinal plane n,of the short legs, and extend rearwardly away Afrom the free ends 4 and5.

Y The operation.ofthe several modifications willbe 'apparentv from the foregoing description, @ne loopendof the -bandfis inserted in the buckle, throughtheopening in thenend bars, and thendrawn upa-gainst the upper end bar `l. The; loop on the other end of the 1 hand is inserted between the `.free ends 4 and. 5.

Asfthecoinpressor isreleased, the bale expands and the then tensioned; band lexerts a stress on t-hebuckle.V Thetendency ofthe buckle tosp'readunder .this stress is restricted by the provision of greater friction. `resistance result,-` ing'.Y fromv the Y corrugated band engaging. surfaces ofI ,the buckle.

The principle ofproviding for greater fractional resistance to the spready vof the buckle under stresshas, beenfillustrated in; .a buckle having initially lspaced a overlapping endI portionsl It willbe readily appreciated,

however,` that this isnierely atypicalembodil. conceive: the; inventionasfresding p 1. A leale buckle.Careprisingatepfleai side bars and spaced end bars, andinieans enacting with l. a 3leale band rte restrain,` .Spread- .ef the buckle understress. n

- 2.', Awbale, buckle -eQmpr-isng a single piece of material bent in polygonal shapete present a .top bar,.side bars, and spaced end bars,;the

end bars.Y being provided with .nfieanstofI gre-a.

strict spread of the buckle whenplaced under 31A buckle f comprising a single V--piiece of metal forminga top bar,1side barsrand spaced' band engaging endbars, said .end bars being formed with lateral corru-'gatiens'l Y l side bars and spaced-endfbars,;the;endbars being provided with "a plurality? of pr'otrusions- '.arrangedg tov` preventfglatl'l spread'bf said endbars under stress-` e y Y 5. A bale buckle comprising integrally Vformed top, side and spaced end bars, the end bars being laterally grooved for a greater portion of their surfaces.

6. A bale buckle comprising integral top and side bars and laterally grooved end bars extending from the side bars into initially spaced relation.

7. A bale buckle comprising integral top and side bars, laterally grooved end bars eX- tending from the side bars into initially spaced and overlapping relation.

8. A bale buckle comprising integral top and side bars, laterally grooved end bars extending from the side bars into initially laterally spaced and overlapping relation.

9. A bale buckle comprising a top bar, side bars and spaced end bars, and means on the Vend bars to restrain spread of the buckle under stress and to prevent slippage of the band.

10. A buckle comprising a single piece of metal forming a top bar, side bars and spaced band engaging end bars and a plurality of lateral corrugations on said end bars.

11. A buckle comprising integral top, side, and spaced end bars, the end bars being formed with lateral grooves as and for the purpose described.

12. A bale buckle comprising integral top, side, and spaced end bars, the end bars being provided with a plurality of obliquely disposed projections on the band engaging surfaces of each end bar.

13. A bale buckle comprising integral top, side, and spaced end bars having a plurality of obliquely disposed V-shaped projections formed on band engaging surfaces of said end bars.

14. A bale buckle comprising integral top, side, and spaced end bars, the band-engaging portions of the end bars being formed with angularly disposed V-shaped projections.

15. A bale buckle of polygonal shape comprising a single piece of metal bent to provide a top bar, a plurality of side bars and end bars, said side bars being spaced to embrace a bale band, and said end bars having surfaces roughened in such a manner as to prevent lateral spread under stress.

16. A bale buckle comprising a top bar,

side bars, spaced end bars and means for incn Y creasing the coeilicient of friction between .the bale band and said end bars, said means acting in such a manner as to prevent lateral spread of said end bars under stress.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

WILLIAM H. MCKINNEY, JR. 

